 Adinkra graph used in supersymmetric theory |
Symmetry in nature
Symmetries lie at the heart of the laws of nature. Early cultures may not have spoken of this in the exact terms of modern physicists today, but symmetries, and balance are implicit in their ideas of a comprehensive framework of the Universe. And symmetries lie explicitly at the basis of modern physics, from general relativity to quantum field theory. One of the most significant cultural tools developed by Africans to explore the symmetries found in nature is the precept Maat or Ma'at.
What is Ma'at?
Ma'at is the Egyptian concept representing symmetry, harmony, balance and order in nature. In her work "Maat and Order in African Cosmology: A Conceptual Tool for Understanding Indigenous Knowledge" Denise Martin, Ph.D. states:
"Cosmologically, Ma'at is the principle of order that informs the creation of the universe."
She goes on to explain her reasoning for using Ma'at as a through line for examining traditional African scientific thought.
"This work extends Ma'at beyond the boundaries of ancient Egyptian culture and tests its conceptual elasticity by developing it into an analytical tool for studying classical African cosmological knowledge". It focuses on the conceptualization of Ma'at as the foundation of the universe and then uses the manner in which Ma'at appears in ancient Egyptian culture as a basis for distinguishing patterns within classical African knowledge."
"Forming a framework for discussing classical African knowledge using Ma'at has two main premises.
First, there appeared to be an intimate and mutually dependent relationship between cultural production and cosmological beliefs among various cultures on the continent. The similarities are not necessarily aesthetic but ontological, Second, a theoretical framework that fully captured the complexities and indeed significance of the relationship between cultural production and cosmological knowledge was needed.""...the genius of classical African knowledge lies in how all elements of cultural production from all segments of life are integrated into an epistemological system..."The cosmological domain is where Ma'at is "the totality of ordered existence and represents things in harmony and in place". - Denise Martin (Jul., 2008 )
Balance of Forces in Nature
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| Balance of positive and negative forces present within nucleons |
We see how Ma'at represents cosmic balance within traditional African cosmology. The concept of the balance of forces (negative and positive, male and female, repulsive and attractive...) is continually present in African culture across the continent. One such culture being that of the Akan People of Ghana.
Within Akan cosmology we can also see the balance of female (positive) & male (negative) forces represented in the "nuclear " relationship between Onyame, Onyankopon, and Odomankoma:
"Onyame is often thought to be female and associated with the Moon." "While Onyame is considered supreme," ... "The Akan also have a second superdivinity, Onyankopon, who is a polar opposite to Onyame. He is male and associated with the Sun. Finally, there is a third, ultradivine element that binds itself with Onyame and Onyankopon into the one Absolute: Odomankoma, the infinite being. This Absolute has a trinitarian character: God as male, female, and relational principle; or, metaphorically speaking, Moon, Sun, and their bonding principle. Odomankoma is therefore the name Akan-language speakers use to describe the eternal entity who deserves the credit for the work of creation, including creating the concept of trinity—the idea of the union between Onyame ["up quark" / "proton"]and Onyankopon ["down quark" / "electron"] in the Odomankoma. Odomankoma ["gluon"] is responsible for both natural and supernatural existence and is regularly praised during worship as the “Absolute Architect” (Borebore) ["baryon "] of Nature. - Deities of the Akan Religion, encyclopedia.com
Organic Patterns Present in Nature
In African cosmology Ma'at is viewed as an active participant in the universe, continually influencing its unfolding and can be seen in the patterns of the physical world. The Adinkra Symbols of Ghana represent these concepts or aphorisms in the form of logograms and can be seen on fabrics, logos and pottery throughout the culture however many of their geometric forms have existed on older archaeological artifacts, across a broader geographic range.
Prof. Ron Eglash’s (1999 ) documents Ghanaian pre-colonial knowledge of logarithmic curves in symbolic representations of organic growth.
"...there is solid evidence that pre-colonial Ghanaian designers consciously employed logarithmic scaling--in particular the log spiral--as a visual model for the underlying geometric forms common to living organisms. Adinkra symbols do not just mimic organic growth; they are a means of representing a hybrid knowledge form at the intersections of biological, mathematical, and social concepts" -'Babbitt, W., Lachney, M., Bulley, E., & Eglash, R. (2015 ).
We know that Africans in antiquity perceived the underlying order and patterns present in nature. And through their conceptualizations and cultural artifacts we see they postulated mathematical objects to study and explore these patterns found in nature. We can use these findings along with the concept of Ma'at as a template through which to view and better understand the way traditional African cultures conceptualized their physical world (see Patipembas, Veve, and Adinkras as Physics Diagrams).